Scientists develop 'furry' touchscreen

Scientists at the Oksana University have developed an ingenious screen that feels soft like an animal’s fur when stroked, while responding by modifying its display depending on how the screen is touched.

Whether this new technology will render the common housecat obselete is yet to be seen, though at the very least the new touch screen will not demand food and attention all day while giving off a distinct air of superiority.

The screen is made of a vast amount of optical fibres, 0.25mm in diameter, with approximately 40,000 fibres per sq. cm. Half of the fibres can be used to display images which are responsive to contact, with the rest of the fibres being connected to a camera that can detect timing and location of contact by sensing light as it scatters when a hand comes close to the screen.

When the screen is touched image data is manipulated in different, predefined ways. This could mean the screen will burst into an array of colours when stroked, or a specific colour dependent on whether the contact is swift or persistent.

Scientists are apparently now in the process of adjusting a number of specifications such as fibre height in order to offer an even more ‘pleasurable experience’, according to Nikkei, so that people want to keep touching screen.